JP6817698B2 - Rolling bearings with sealing flanges - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to rolling bearings, particularly rolling bearings used in automotive or industrial applications.

In rolling bearings, one or more seals are typically used to maintain a lubricant, such as grease, inside the bearing and to limit the entry of contaminated particles. Usually, such a seal is fixed to one of the bearing rings and engages with the other ring to form a dynamic seal.

Patent Document 1 discloses a rolling bearing having two seals, each of which has an internal lip fixed to an outer ring and in frictional contact with the inner ring. The bearing also comprises two sealing flanges, each of which has an outer lip that is secured to the inner ring and rubs against the associated seal. Each sealing flange comprises a radial portion that is axially attached to the anterior surface of the inner ring and is a fixed portion that is bent inside an annular groove formed in the hole of the ring. Has been postponed by.

During operation, contaminated particles can be introduced through the space existing between the fixed portion of the sealing flange and the groove of the inner ring and reach the inner lip of the seal in frictional contact with the ring. Specifically, the flange is formed from a sheet metal blank by bending, cutting and pressing. Further, the fixing portion of the flange is pressure-fitted inside the groove of the inner ring. As a result, this fixed portion of the flange is not perfectly straight with good flatness. Therefore, a narrow passage remains between the outer surface of the fixed portion of the flange and the groove of the inner ring.

International Publication No. 2011/121385 Pamphlet

An object of the present invention is to remedy this drawback.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide rolling bearings with improved sealing flanges.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a rolling bearing that is easy to manufacture and assemble.

In one embodiment, the rolling bearing is provided with an outer ring, an inner ring, at least a row of rolling elements located between the outer and inner rings in the radial direction, and one front surface of the outer ring and the inner ring. It includes at least one sealing flange attached so as to abut in the axial direction, and means for fixing the sealing flange to the ring.

The fixing means at least locally covers the area of the anterior surface of the ring where the sealing flange is left untouched. The fixing means covers a part of the sealing flange adjacent to the region. The fixing means is annular.

The fixing means fixes the sealing flange to the anterior surface of the associated ring and guarantees a seal between the flange and the ring in the fixing area. The ring shape of the fixing means makes it possible to obtain a continuous seal in the circumferential direction between the flange and the anterior surface of the associated ring. Therefore, the ingress of contaminated particles between the sealing flange and the front surface of the ring is prevented. Moreover, it is not necessary to provide additional machining work to form a groove in the hole or outer surface of the ring to secure the sealing flange while the ring is being manufactured.

Preferably, the sealing flange comprises a radial mounting portion, the radial mounting portion is mounted so as to abut in axial contact with the front surface of the ring, and the radial mounting portion is provided with a hole in the ring in the radial direction. A free end edge located between the surface and the outer surface is provided.

In one embodiment, the fixing means covers the free end edge of the mounting portion of the sealing flange. Alternatively, the fixing means covers a part of the inner surface of the sealing flange, and the inner surface is located on a side separated from the free end edge portion in the radial direction in consideration of the radial mounting portion of the sealing flange.

In a preferred embodiment, the fixing means comprises a bead of material, such as an adhesive bead or a weld bead.

In a preferred embodiment, the bearing also comprises at least one seal fixed to and engaged with the outer ring, the sealing flange being offset axially outward of the bearing with respect to the seal. The sealing flange may be attached in axial contact with the seal.

The sealing flange may be attached in direct axial contact with the front surface of the outer ring.

The present invention will be better understood by reference to the detailed description of embodiments given for non-limiting examples as a whole and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

It is an axial half sectional view of the rolling bearing according to 1st example of this invention. It is a detailed view of FIG. It is a detailed view of the rolling bearing according to the 2nd example of this invention.

In FIG. 1, the rolling bearing 10 of the shaft 12 is arranged between the outer ring 14, the inner ring 16, and the outer ring and the inner ring in the radial direction, and in the present embodiment, a plurality of rolling bearings in the form of balls are arranged. A moving element 18 and a cage 20 for maintaining a constant circumferential distance between the rolling elements are provided. The bearing 10 has annular seals 22 and 24 for closing the radial space existing between the outer ring 14 and the inner ring 16 on both sides in the axial direction, and the seals 22 and 24 and the axially outer side of the bearing. An annular sealing flanges 26 and 28 that come into contact with each other are provided. In the example described, the seals 22, 24 are fixed to the outer ring 14, while the sealing flanges 26, 28 are fixed to the inner ring 16.

The outer ring 14 is formed on a cylinder-shaped axial outer surface 14a, a cylinder-shaped hole 14b, two radial front surfaces 14c and 14d opposite to each other, and a hole 14b that define the hole and the outer surface in the axial direction. It includes a raceway that is formed and has a concave internal outer shape suitable for the rolling element 18 in cross section, and is oriented radially inward. Further, the outer ring 14 includes two annular grooves 14e and 14f formed in the hole 14b and extending radially outward. The grooves 14e and 14f are arranged close to the front surfaces 14c and 14d, respectively. The grooves 14e and 14f are arranged between the rolling element 18 and one of the front surfaces 14c and 14d in the axial direction. The grooves 14e and 14f are symmetrical with respect to the radial intermediate surface passing through the center of the bearing 10.

The inner ring 16 has a cylinder-shaped hole 16a, a cylinder-shaped axial outer surface 16b, two radial front end surfaces 16c and 16d opposite to each other, and an outer surface 16b that define the hole and the outer surface in the axial direction. A raceway having a concave internal outer shape having a cross section suitable for the rolling element 18 and having a cross section directed outward in the radial direction. The front surfaces 16c and 16d are flat. The front surfaces 16c, 16d are smooth, i.e. have no ribs, protrusions, notches, grooves, etc. The cage 20 is arranged in the radial space defined by the outer surface 16b of the inner ring and the hole 14b of the outer ring in the radial direction.

Further, the inner ring 16 includes two annular grooves 16e and 16f formed on the outer surface 16b and extending inward in the radial direction. The grooves 16e and 16f are arranged close to the front surfaces 16c and 16d, respectively. The grooves 16e and 16f are symmetrical with respect to the radial intermediate surface of the bearing 10. The grooves 16e and 16f face the corresponding grooves 14e and 14f in the radial direction.

The outer ring 14 and the inner ring 16 are concentric. In the example described, the ring is solid. A "solid ring" is understood to be a ring in shape obtained by machining to remove debris (by turning or grinding) from tubes, barstocks, forged blanks and / or rolled blanks.

The seals 22 and 24 are arranged between the outer ring 14 and the inner ring 16 in the radial direction, are fixed to the outer ring, and are arranged laterally with respect to the rolling element 18. The seals 22 and 24 are fixed to the inside of one of the grooves 14e and 14f in the outer ring. The seals 22 and 24 are entirely housed inside a radial space defined by the outer ring 14 and the inner ring 16. The seals 22, 24 are offset axially inward of the bearing 10 with respect to the associated side surfaces 14c, 14d of the outer ring.

In this illustrated example, the seals 22 and 24 are identical to each other and symmetrical with respect to the radial intermediate plane of the bearing 10. Since the seals 22 and 24 are the same in this embodiment, only one of them will be described.

The seal 22 comprises a rigid annular protective structure or insert 30 and a flexible annular sealing gasket 32 fixed to the insert. The insert 30 is made of a rigid material, such as a metallic or thermoplastic material, especially polyamide. The insert 30 forms a reinforcing insert for the gasket 32. The gasket 32 is molded or vulcanized onto the insert 30. The gasket 32 is made of a flexible material, such as an elastomer such as nitrile rubber, or a thermoplastic elastomer material.

The gasket 32 covers the outer surface of the insert 30. The gasket 32 covers the outer surface of the insert 30. The gasket 32 includes an annular outer surface 36 that points axially outward of the bearing towards the associated flange 26. The side surface 36 of the gasket forms the outer surface of the seal 22. The side surface 36 is flat. The side surface 36 extends radially. The inner side surface 38 of the seal, which is separated from the side surface 36, is directed inward in the axial direction of the bearing in the direction of the rolling element 18. The inner surface 38 is defined by the insert 30.

The gasket 32 forms two sealing portions that are radially opposite to each other, and these sealing portions provide a static seal with the outer ring 14 and a dynamic seal with the inner ring 16, respectively. "Static seal" is understood to mean a seal created with no relative movement between the two components, and "dynamic seal" is understood to mean a seal showing relative movement between the two components. Will be done.

The outer sealing portion of the gasket 32 is pressure-fitted into the groove 14e of the outer ring 14, thereby fixing the ring to the seal 22. The inner sealing portion of the gasket 32 includes concentric first annular inner lips 32a and second annular inner lips 32b that extend axially toward the interior of the bearing. The inner lip 32b axially contacts the radial wall of the groove 16e of the inner ring. The inner lip 32a has a diameter larger than that of the inner lip 32b and surrounds the outer surface 16b of the inner ring in the radial direction, thereby forming a labyrinth-type narrow passage together with the outer surface.

Each sealing flange 26, 28 is offset axially outward of the bearing with respect to the associated seals 22, 24. Each of the sealing flanges 26, 28 is attached so as to abut on one of the front surfaces 16c, 16d of the inner ring in the axial direction and abut on the sealing gasket 32 of the associated seal on the outer side in the axial direction of the bearing 10. The flanges 26 and 28 are symmetrical with respect to the lateral radial plane passing through the center of the bearing 10. Since the flanges 26, 28 are identical in the examples described, only one of them is described herein.

The flange 26 is an integral part. The flange 26 is made from a rigid material, such as a metal material, preferably a sheet metal blank by cutting and pressing. Alternatively, the flange 26 may be made from some other rigid material, such as a synthetic material such as polyamide.

The flange 26 is fixed to the inner ring 16 outside the radial space existing between the inner ring 16 and the outer ring 14. As will be described in more detail below, the flange 26 is fixed to the front surface 16c of the inner ring by an annular fixing means 34 attached to the flange and the inner ring. The fixing means 34 is independent of the flange 26 and the inner ring 16. The fixing means 34 is arranged outside the radial space existing between the inner ring 16 and the outer ring 14. The flange 26 extends radially toward the outer ring 14. The flange 26 is attached in axial contact with the front surface 16c of the inner ring.

The flange 26 abuts axially with the outer surface 36 of the seal. In the example described, the flange 26 is attached so as to axially abut the side surface 36 near the outer sealing portion of the sealing gasket 32. The flange 26 includes an inner surface 40 that is axially directed toward the seal 20 and that is in local contact with the seal, and an outer surface 42 that is directed outward in the axial direction of the bearing. The flange 26 is attached in direct contact with the seal 22.

The flange 26 contacts the annular mounting portion 26a, which is attached so as to abut with the front surface 16c of the inner ring in the axial direction, and the seal 22 which has a ring shape and is in axial contact with the outer surface 36 of the seal. A portion 26b for the purpose is provided. The mounting portion 26a has a radial shape and forms an inner portion of the flange. The mounting portion 26a includes a free edge portion 44 (FIG. 2) that defines a hole in the flange 26. The edge 44 more generally forms the small diameter inner edge of the mounting portion 26a. The edge portion 44 defines the flange 26 on the inner side in the radial direction. The flange 26 does not have a portion extending the edge portion 44. The edge portion 44 is located between the hole 16a and the outer surface 16b in the inner ring in the radial direction. The edge 44 is located along the front surface 16c of the inner ring in the radial direction. The edge portion 44 is adjacent to the front surface 16c in the axial direction.

The abutting portion 26b forms an outer portion or an end portion of the flange. In the example described, the abutting portion 26b has a curved shape that is concave on the outer side in the axial direction and convex on the inner side in the axial direction. Only the abutting portion 26b of the flange is attached in contact with the seal 22.

Further, the flange 26 includes an annular connecting portion 26c extending between the fixed portion 26a and the abutting portion 26b and connected to the fixing portion and the abutting portion. The connecting portion 26c extends the large-diameter end edge portion of the mounting portion 26a in the radial direction, and extends in the radial direction by the contact portion 26b. The connecting portion 26c is configured to be axially flexible and elastically deformable. The connecting portion 26c extends inward toward the seal 22. In the example described, the connecting portion 26c has an axially inwardly curved shape of the bearing 10.

A corrugated portion or undulation 46 is formed on the connecting portion 26c to further enhance the axial flexibility and elastic deformability of the connecting portion. The undulations 46 extend outward in the axial direction of the bearing 10. In the example described, the undulations 46 extend from the large diameter edge of the flange mounting portion 26a. In this embodiment, the flange 26 has a single undulation 46. Alternatively, the flange 26 may be provided with a plurality of continuous undulations in the radial direction, or other shapes that enhance the elastic deformation of the connecting portion 26c.

As more clearly illustrated in FIG. 2, the fixing means 34 covers the free end edge 44 of the sealing flange and is left untouched by the flange in an adjacent region of the front surface 16c of the inner ring. Is locally covered. In the example described, the adjacent region left untouched by the flanges is more generally offset radially inward with respect to the flange edge 44. The fixing means 34 is in the form of an annular bead of material, which may be, for example, an adhesive bead or a weld bead. The fixing means 34 forms a fixing bead. The fixing means 34 is continuous in the circumferential direction.

The fixing means 34 performs two functions, that is, a function of fixing the sealing flange 26 to the front surface 16c of the inner ring and a function of guaranteeing a seal between the flange 26 and the front surface. The ring shape of the fixing means 34 makes it possible to obtain a continuous seal in the circumferential direction between the edge portion 44 of the flange and the front surface 16c of the ring. Therefore, the invasion of contaminated particles between the sealing flange 26 and the inner ring 16 is prevented.

Further, the axial contact between the sealing flange 26 and the outer surface 36 of the seal makes it possible to limit the entry of contaminated particles between the flange and the seal. In the example described, the flange 26 is deformed outward in the axial direction by contact between the abutting portion 26b and the seal 22. The connecting portion 26c of the flange is deformed contrary to its inherent elasticity. The flange 26 is preliminarily loaded in the axial direction by contact with the seal 22. When the load is applied in advance, the axial distance between the mounting portion 26a and the contact portion 26b on the inner surface 40 side of the flange is the axis between the mounting portion and the contact portion in the free state. It is smaller than the directional spacing or the axial spacing between the mounting and contact portions of the flange in the unstressed state. Due to the elasticity, the connecting portion 26c of the flange tends to return to an axially unloaded or unstressed position. Therefore, the abutting portion 26b of the flange applies a permanent axial preload force to the seal 22. This makes it possible to maintain axial sliding contact between the flange 26 and the seal 22.

The example described in FIG. 3 in which the same elements have the same reference numerals differs from the first example only due to the arrangement of the annular fixing means 34. The fixing means 34 is a region of the front surface 16c of the inner ring left without contact with the sealing flange, which is offset outward in the radial direction with respect to the mounting portion 26a of the sealing flange. It covers locally. The fixing means 34 covers a part of the inner side surface 40 of the flange that is adjacent to the region and faces the region in the axial direction. This part of the inner side surface 40 of the flange is located on the side separated from the edge portion 44 in the radial direction in consideration of the mounting portion 26a of the flange. In the example described, the fixing means 34 is, for example, an adhesive bead.

In the examples described, each flange is axially elastically deformable to maintain axial contact between the flange and the associated seal. However, as a modification, it is possible to provide a flange that is not elastically deformable. As a modification, it is possible to provide seals having different configurations. Each seal may have an outer lip that rubs against the inner surface of the associated flange.

In the example described, the sealing flange is fixed to the inner ring and the associated seal is fixed to the outer ring. Alternatively, it is possible to provide the reverse arrangement in which the seal is secured to the inner ring and the associated flange is secured to the outer ring. In this case, the fixing means can be arranged so as to cover the free end edge portion of the mounting portion of the sealing flange that defines the outer diameter of the sealing flange. This edge forms a large diameter edge of the flange. The fixing means is a region of the anterior surface of the outer ring where the sealing flange is left untouched and is offset radially outward with respect to the large diameter free edge of the flange. It is covered with. Alternatively, when the flange is fixed to the outer ring, the fixing means is the area of the front surface of the outer ring left untouched by the sealing flange, which points radially inward with respect to the mounting portion of the sealing flange. The offset region can be locally covered and a portion of the inner surface of the flange adjacent to and axially opposed to the region can be covered.

In another variant, it is possible not to provide a seal associated with each sealing flange. In this case, each flange can engage a ring with which the flange extends towards it to form a narrow passage seal.

14 outer ring, 16 inner ring, 16c front, 18 rolling element, 22 seal, 26 sealing flange, 26a radial mounting part, 34 fixing means, 44 free end edge

Claims (9)

An outer ring (14), an inner ring (16), at least a row of rolling elements (18) arranged between the outer ring and the inner ring in the radial direction, and a front surface of the inner ring (16). The sealing flange (26) , which is at least one sealing flange (26) provided with an annular mounting portion (26a) that abuts with (16c) in the axial direction, and is an integral part of the sealing flange (26) and the inner ring (16). In a rolling bearing provided with a fixing means (34) for fixing the sealing flange.
The fixing means (34) provides a region of the front surface (16c) of the inner ring and a part of the sealing flange adjacent to the region, which is left without contact with the sealing flange (26). Covered at least locally, said fixing means is annular
The rolling bearing comprises at least one seal (22) fixed to the outer ring (14) and engaged with the inner ring (16).
The seal (22) comprises a rigid annular insert (30) and a flexible annular sealing gasket (32) fixed to the annular insert.
The sealing flange (26) is offset outward in the axial direction of the rolling bearing with respect to the seal (22).
An annular end portion (26b) attached so that the sealing flange (26) is in axial contact with the outer surface of the annular sealing gasket (32) of the seal (22), and the annular mounting portion (26a). It is provided with an annular connecting portion (26c) extending between the and the annular end portion (26b) .
The annular connecting portion (26c) extends inward toward the seal (22) and is configured to be axially flexible and elastically deformable.
At least one undulation (46) is formed in the annular connecting portion (26c) and extends axially on the outer surface of the rolling bearing.
The axial distance between the annular mounting portion (26a) and the annular end portion (26b) is between the annular mounting portion (26a) and the annular end portion (26b) in the free state of the sealing flange. The sealing flange (26) is axially aligned by contact between the annular end portion (26b) of the seal (26) and the outer surface of the annular sealing gasket (32) so as to be smaller than the axial distance between the two. It has been multiplied by the pre-load to,
A rolling bearing characterized in that the annular connecting portion (26c) is deformed against the elasticity of the annular connecting portion (26c) . The sealing flange (26) includes an annular mounting portion (26a), and the annular mounting portion (26a) is mounted so as to abut in the front surface (16c) of the inner ring in the axial direction. The rolling bearing according to claim 1, wherein (26a) is provided with a free end edge portion (44) located between the hole of the inner ring and the outer surface in the radial direction. The rolling bearing according to claim 2, wherein the fixing means (34) covers the free end edge portion (44) of the annular mounting portion (26a) of the sealing flange. The fixing means (34) covers a part of the inner surface of the sealing flange, and the inner surface is from the free end edge portion (44) in the radial direction in consideration of the annular mounting portion (26a) of the sealing flange. The rolling bearing according to claim 2, wherein the rolling bearing is located on a side to be separated from each other. The rolling bearing according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fixing means (34) includes a bead of a material. The rolling bearing according to claim 5, wherein the fixing means (34) includes a bead of an adhesive. The rolling bearing according to claim 5, wherein the fixing means (34) includes a weld bead. The rolling bearing according to claim 1, wherein the sealing flange (26) is attached in axial contact with the seal (22). The rolling bearing according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the sealing flange (26) is attached in direct contact with the front surface (16c) of the outer ring in the axial direction.

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